Pelicans on Stone Lake, LaPorte, Indiana. Image courtesy of Nancy J Addie.
Drink Your Tea
I am by no means a birdwatcher, even an amateur birdwatcher. But. I love to hear the songs of our resident birds. The “Drink Your Tea” call of the Rufous-sided Towhee is one of my favorites. As soon as weather permits, I open the windows so I can hear their calls. There is nothing better than sipping on a morning cup of joe or tea as I am sitting in my home office, listening to the birds at the feeder while smelling the lavender from my front garden bed. I don’t keep an ongoing list of bird’s I have seen at the feeders, but bet your bottom, I dial up my dad if there is a visitor in the mix I can’t identify.
The day I had a molting Eastern Blue Bird show up, I was instantly texting my dad with pictures. Unfortunately, he was in a meeting. Hello! This is important. Luckily, my Dad is a nature lover too, so he multi-tasked and sent me his answer. (Spoiled? Maybe.) Even though, I’m not a formal, or even a hobby birder, I enjoy watching them when the chance arises.
Certainly, Springtime in Northwest Indiana is flush with bird species with the regulars waking up and doing their Spring things and the migrating species stopping in for a visit. Indeed, this seasonal flow of species is how we end up with a group of pelicans swimming on Stone Lake in LaPorte (see pic at top of page) in April.
Bugling Calls and Cranes, oh My
Along the Indiana Dunes, and the wetlands near it, you can find a variety of migrating species at this time of year. Once that first Robin makes an appearance, you know that you can start looking for the water birds that will be passing through the area. My favorite migrants are the sand-hill cranes. Check out my post on Spring is Peeking to hear the bugling call of the sand-hill cranes.
Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area
The Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area indicates that the best viewing time for these majestic birds is during their Fall Migration (peaking usually between October and December). In the 2020-2021 season, the Indiana DNR stats show a weekly high of 30,701 sandhills for December 1st! That’s a lot of birds! It has been years since I have made the journey down to Jasper-Pulaski in the Fall, but I never get tired of hearing them flying over my house in early Spring.
Birdy Things To-do in Northwest Indiana
If you are looking for birdy things to do in Northwest Indiana, you won’t be disappointed. The diversity of bioregions offers the opportunity to see a great variety of species (more than 350, in fact!). Indiana Dunes Tourism has a cool self-guided birding tour that includes some great sites, including:
Indiana Dunes National Park – Great Marsh Trail
Below are just a couple of the pictures I took on a recent hike through the Great Marsh Trail. Of course, we had Luna the Lunatic along with us on this day. Although she was quiet as a Cowboy Corgi can be, the birds weren’t impressed. Subsequently, the birds tended to be heard rather than seen.
Great Marsh Trail 
Daffodils at Great Marsh Trail 
Canadan Geese near the Great Marsh Trail 
Along the Great Marsh Trail
Indiana Dunes National Park – Heron Rookery Trail
Dunes National Park Cowles Bog (one of my favorites!)
I really can’t stress how much I love the Dunes, regardless of whether you visit the State Park or the National Park. You never know what you are going to see. For instance, driving along Highway 12 near the Dunes is the first time I saw a pair of Bald Eagles in the wild. And, yes. I made my husband pull over, even though it was probably going to make him late for picking up his work trip. Again, important stuff happening here!
Another cool thing happening in the Dunes for bird lovers occurs May 13th -16th, 2021 when the Indiana Dunes hosts the Indiana Dunes Bird Festival. This year (thanks, Co-Vid) the event is hybrid, meaning they will offer both virtual and in person events.
There are many more birding things to do then those I have listed here, but I am a dabbler, not a true player. Comment below and share your favorite bird watching location or birding program in Northwest Indiana!